HL Deb 11 February 1998 vol 585 cc201-2WA
Lord Wallace of Saltaire

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the total number of police liaison officers now posted to Britain, and from which foreign countries. [HL446]

Lord Williams of Mostyn:

There are currently 25 police liaison officers posted to Britain. They are posted to the American, French, Spanish and Japanese Embassies and the Canadian and South African High Commissions. There are also officers from Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Norway (representing the Nordic countries) posted to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and from France and Germany at the European Liaison Section of the Metropolitan Police Service. In addition, there are 12 Customs liaison officers posted to the American and French Embassies, the Indian and South African High Commissions, and the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the total number of police liaison officers now posted abroad, and to which national capitals or international organisations they are attached. [HL445]

Lord Williams of Mostyn:

There are currently 16 police liaison officers posted abroad: 14 are postings by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, and the other two are secondments arranged via the North West Regional Crime Squad and the Dependant Territories Regional Intelligence System.

It is not the practice to state exactly where liaison officers are posted because of the possible danger to their safety, but I can confirm that the majority of these police officers are posted to British Embassies in member states of the European Union. In addition, there are 55 liaison officers from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise posted overseas, mostly outside the European Union, with one based at the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon. One of the police officers and one of the Customs officers are the United Kingdom's liaison officers at the Europol Drugs Unit in The Hague.